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Coker Says No Strikeforce Champs Will Take Off To The UFC | MMA NEWS

Since the UFC’s blockbuster purchase of rival organization, Strikeforce, the UFC has really run the show and turned Strikeforce into a much more marketable company. The UFC has also taken the liberty to import some top fighters to compete at the highest level of MMA in the UFC.

New champions have emerged to fill the gap temporarily as Daniel Cormier and Nate Marquardt have earned their respective crowns at heavyweight and welterweight and Luke Rockhold is still holding down the middleweight division, but it seems that if the UFC needs a champion to come and fight for the UFC, thats exactly what will happen.

On AXS.TV’s Inside MMA, however, Coker revealed that Strikeforce will not lose anymore heavyweights in the near future, to go off to the UFC to put on fights.

Coker went on to talk about this past event for Strikeforce and what he thinks is next for newly crowned welterweight champion, Nate Marquardt:

“Well, you know what, that’s something that Sean and I are going to talk about, today or tomorrow, but, believe me, if you look back at the title shots we’ve given our guys, they’ve all been tough. Our guys have been in some tough, tough match ups since we’ve been on Showtime, back in 2009, and that’s gonna continue. Sean and I will have a phone call, and we’re gonna figure out who’s the next guy for Nate.”

In regards to the rumors of emigration to the UFC Coker remained mysterious and gave no definitive answers:

“Well, here’s the situation. I think you guys know this, as well. We have a great contract with Showtime. They’ve been a great television partner with us, since 2009, and that’s gonna continue. We feel really good about that relationship. We’ve had some amazing fights, amazing athletes and delivered some amazing ratings for that network, and they love it. They love MMA programming. When a network wants to support you, that’s a great thing. So, we’re gonna continue having the fighters that are fighting on Showtime, right now, continue fighting on Showtime, and the UFC is gonna continue running the fighters that they have in their league. For right now, it’s gonna stay independent, but you never can say never, but for right now, that’s how it’s gonna run.”

As for the current champions, Coker stated that he can assure fans that these fighters will stick around to defend their Strikeforce belts:

In determining the next lightweight challenger, rumors have been swirling around about an unnecessary fourth fight between Gilbert Melendez and long-time rival, Josh Thomson. Coker said that with a victory last Saturday Healy looked great and could be next in line to offer a change in scenery for the champion, as Healy is one of the few who has never fought Melendez:

“I absolutely think that Pat Healy improved his stock. The fight’s not put together yet, but that’s something that we’re gonna look to put together by the end of the year.”

Finally, Coker revealed the Daniel Cormier will be fighting in what could be his last for Strikeforce against an undetermined opponent. According to the Strikeforce website, only two fighters remain in the heavyweight division with on being Cormier and the other being recent Cormier opponent, Josh Barnett, thus, an opponent will likely be a brand new signing or possibly even an import from the UFC:

“Daniel Cormier will be fighting on September 29th, on Showtime. It’s going to be live from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento. But the opponent hasn’t been determined. We’ll probably have that figured out, probably by this week . But Daniel Cormier will be fighting on Showtime, on the 29th, in the ARCO Arena, in Sacramento.”

Yeah they might as well, Let all the good fighters go to the UFC.. I find myself way more interested in Bellator then i do Strikeforce.. Soon Bellator and One FC will be the only big organizations left besides UFC

don’t be retarded. why would they drop the minor leagues. there needs to be lower organizations for people to fight in and make a name for themselves. that’d be a dumbass move that would just hurt the sport and it’s lower fighers.

what’s about Mousasi ? nobody talk about him like he’s a newcomer. This guy is a veteran and he’s fuckin young. Right now he’s stuck in strikeforce where there’s is like one guy (Feijao) who’s on his level;
Look at his record for god sake he had wins on a lot of high level fighters; actually he have wins over guys that are UFC fighter like Hunt or Lombard

They never mention Mousasi to the point that I forgot he was in Strikeforce. Since Feijao got penalized for a year or w/e he has no competition anymore in SF. Maybe they keep him quiet since, because there’s no one for him to fight, they have no ammo to hype him against.

As Dana and Scott have pointed out numerous times, they are not getting rid of strike force, because of the Showtime deal.

The free UFC publicity on Showtime due to the STrikeforce deal makes it very worth keeping from a publicity standpoint. It gets Zuffa more branding time on that network.

As long as that showtime deal exists to benefit them, Zuffa will keep Strikeforce alive.

Keeping strikeforce has nothing to do with anything else. Has nothing to do with minor league fighter development, making money, or anything like that. It’s the Showtime deal and the benefits that come with it.

blah blah blah.. ufc need strikeforce cuz fighter dont win in ufc fight in strikeforce and new fighter fight first in strikeforce to gain xp .. whatever the contract with the showtime. that’s still the bottom line. ufc and dana white has always the last word for everything

strikeforce puts on a lot of entertaining fights and I can say way more than the UFC does unless its big names in the UFC thats fighting. UFC fighters are just more elite and smart that sometimes it wont be entertaining to watch because fighters wont take that risk..

There needs to be a lower league so fighters can make a name for themselves or so guys that go cold can get back in the UFC.

In the lower leagues it seems guys come out to fight every time and in the big league guys fight not to lose… At least most guys.

Yea they should absorb strikeforce before rockhold, Melendez get to old and never know how they will fare in the UFC. But UFC is making garanteed money by showing strikeforce on showtime and doing no promos for it. It’s money in the bank with out doing shit. Why give up easy money the only way is if showtime doesn’t make money then showtime will pull the plug. Looks like showtime is doing ok will find out when the contract is over. Showte should just by strikeforce but the UFC wouldn’t allow it

Why not take some of the lower ranking fighters from UFC and put them on the Strikeforce roster and make better fights? This way those lower ranking fighters get more airtime and more fights which could mean better paydays. Give them an an extra bonus for being placed on the other roster.

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